Three Poems

What My Parents Taught Me

You can reach for the stars,
but you'll probably pull a muscle.
Hand-me-down clothes won't kill you,
but your social health will sicken
Adults don't discriminate,
they hate all young people
Spinich is good for you,
Your opinion doesn't matter.
Sticks and stones will break your bones,
but wounds from words don't heal.
Silence is golden,
No one wants to know what you think.
Violence doesn't solve anything,
but talking solves less.
Never take candy from strangers,
it's better to stick to the familiar.
Love it like a red, red rose.
It dies with the seasons.

A Window

One window is all I need
To see the world ahead of me
To judge and wonder and contemplate
What is beyond that window?

Mirror Image

We did it
In front of the mirror
How can
One pane of glass
Be such
A pain in the ass?
It lies to us
We suck in our bellies
And pinch at our cheeks
We see nothing but jelly
Our heads seem mishapen
I would just like to know
If the mirror calls me ugly
How does my self-esteem grow?
But then he smiled
The mirror took it too far
No inanimate object
Can tell how beautiful you are
He had this look in his eye
It felt warm but a little queer
Then he leaned down and kissed me
In front of the mirror.